Code Zulu Alpha: Nerd in the Apocalypse!

Upon a broader look, its main entrance/exit along with its two other sub-entrances/exits were manned with enough people, an alarm system, crisscrossing barricades, a vehicle or two with a mounted gun, and if you'd look through the adjacent buildings, he had other people watching from above with high-powered rifles.

In addition, the other places that might gain entry to the area were closed off from the outside with metal plates—and before going in, an intensive check was needed, including a full body inspection and a washdown.

But yeah, aside from the large open space in the center where college students used to lounge around—which was now being used by his residents for whatever purpose—every other place was just as secure as their entrances.

'Two helis up on that building, military vehicles all over, and the essential shit to the side— It's stricter here for a purpose but it's better than being lax and lazy… Even the younger folks here look intimidated despite their time spent in this place… And there are those guys… Seem reformed but not even sparing a word to Artem and his group, huh? Luckily, Mikhail's not here…'

Just for a bit of a refresher course, before Artem and his group were under my command, they were in a separate island group handled poorly by the soldiers under Morales' command, causing them to lose some people before they were sent over to my side.

However, it didn't take long before the same soldiers were sent over here for deserting their posts and committing other crimes—and if it weren't for Morales, their heads would've rolled on the same day.

Still, those guys still gave me a respectful nod before moving along to their current post while Artem just glanced over them without making a fuss—unlike the rest of his team, opting him to make them settle down—but yeah, everything's pretty calm as we were waiting for our food to get done.

And with that said, Morales took me aside for some feedback since he saw me looking around:

"Anything to add?"

"Paint? Bright colors."

"You serious?"

"I love the security but this is a university, not a fucking jail. It's just depressing to look at, honestly. I can paint an anime character with huge tits on one wall if you'd let me—"

"You keep fucking around—"

"I am but I'm also serious."

"..."

"You already have shit in place and there's nothing else to change it besides the atmosphere. You can't enjoy delicious food if it's one fucking color or smells nothing, right?"

"If you put it like that—"

"What do you do here for entertainment?"

He thought for a bit, "We have spars at nights and betting and some light gambling. We have the gym, movie nights, but yeah, some guys have playing cards, their TV shows, DVD players, and whatnot… Also, I'd hate to say this but we have a few people here known to relieve stress for a Klondike Bar."

"I guess you have that pretty set too—"

"Still doesn't sit well with me."

"Think of it as a necessary evil. It's one of the oldest professions for fuck's sake. And not everyone's built to have relationships."

"Coming from you who cucked the president and have girls line up left, right, and center—"

I rolled my eyes, "Coming from you who's only had one in his life—"

"It's by choice! I won't cheat on my wife!"

"I'm not saying you are and I'm not saying I'm great either. What I'm saying is that people do different shit and you shouldn't judge them just because you're okay with what you have.

While it's true some people would kill for what either of us have, as I said earlier, not everyone's built for relationships and some of them just wanted a quick relief or a different face or— I mean, something casual."

He scoffed, "Those girls already talked to you, huh?"

"I gave them business advice, actually."

"YOU WHAT?!"

"I mean— It's rough out here, you know? They have to protect themselves and have others consider their jobs as real jobs. Sex work is still work and it's keeping your soldiers from committing something that warrants an execution. So again, necessary evil from your perspective. You either pay and treat them well for their services or you'd wake up with some of your soldiers with a gash on their neck."

"What do you mean protect themselves?"

I shook my head, "You have no fucking idea the trouble sex workers face from day to day, huh? Your soldiers might be in more danger since they're facing the dead but who gets the brunt of their leftover aggression after the fact when some of them just went through a life-or-death situation? And again, context clue: not everyone here has an avenue to drop all their shit to. Get me?

You have your wife to talk to but the others just can't talk to their hands forever, no?"

"...shit. I do, I do…"

"So yeah, after this, they'd ask for permission to go back—"

"Hold up—"

"Let me finish, they'd ask for permission once a month to go back to my place for a proper check-up and a bit of a rest day, not that there's anything wrong with your clinic here, and take it some time to talk to Micah to have some girls sub-in for them for the time being. She's in charge of that department and trust me, it's more than happy wife, happy life in dealing with a group like yours.

And I'm pretty sure you just need to look in the right direction. It's not a bad thing if you do it the right way."

"Alright, alright… I think the food's ready. Let me feed you guys at least before you go back, we can handle this from this point on."

"Hah?"

"Artem and his group will still stay, right? I can sub the ones you're training with mine and it'll be good. You have better shit to do and we'll do right by ya. Agreed?"

"If you put it like that— Agreed. Let's eat?"